The present disclosure relates generally to arthroplasty and prosthetic implants, and more particularly, to a protective cover for a prosthetic implant that prevents soft tissues through which the implant is advanced during surgical introduction of the implant into a joint of a patient from contacting and becoming adherent to an exterior surface of the implant.
Hip replacement is one of the most common orthopedic procedures performed in the United States today. Total hip replacement generally involves replacing both the head of the femur (i.e., femoral head) and the acetabulum (i.e., cotyloid cavity) of the pelvis with a prosthetic implant. The prosthetic acetabulum is known in the art as an “acetabular cup” and typically consists of a generally hemispherical body having a porous, convex exterior or back surface (which can be a separate shell) and a smooth, concave interior surface (which can be a separate liner or insert). During hip replacement surgery, the acetabular cup is inserted through the soft tissue surrounding the hip and into the acetabulum where it obtains stability via intimate contact between the porous back surface of the cup and the bone of the patient. Unfortunately, as the acetabular cup is being advanced down into the acetabulum, inevitable contact between the porous exterior surface of the cup and surrounding soft tissues can damage these tissues and cause tissue to become adherent to the exterior surface of the cup, which decreases the likelihood of desirable bony ingrowth into the cup and successful osseointegration of the implant.
Accordingly, what is needed are improvements in surgical tools for use with prosthetic implants and surgical techniques for introducing a prosthetic implant into a patient.